Bats in hanging baskets...!

[paddy]

Since building a pond 18 months ago, there's been plenty of pipestrelle activity, and they were obviously living fairly close by. Closer than I knew, actually, as - while talking to a mate on the front step - one flew out of the side of a hanging basket. On examination, the basket liner had been chewed through, and a hole burrowed out beneath the roots of the plants. I later found two the second basket had received similar treatment, and they were being used as summer houses. Don't know how common this might be.....

[aeshna5]

I have to say I've never heard of this happening before- fascinating stuff + great that the pips have taken to your garden.

Why not contact the Bat Conservation Trust + see what their response to this is? I'll be interested to know if they have recorded this behaviour before!

[paddy]

will do - i hesitated mentioning it until they went off and hibernated in case I had a preservation order put on my baskets!
When i get something back, I'll post it here.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

I have to say I've never heard of this happening before- fascinating stuff + great that the pips have taken to your garden.

Why not contact the Bat Conservation Trust + see what their response to this is? I'll be interested to know if they have recorded this behaviour before!

This is news to me too! Though new info on where bats have been found roosting seems to crop up quite frequently!!

I've never heard of bats chewing through anything either

[paddy]

I suppose it could have exploited an unused planting hole in the liner - the hole was bigger than the manufactured one though, so some work had been done. Have emailed the Bat Conservation Trust with this one - suppose they only work at night though...

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by paddy

Since building a pond 18 months ago, there's been plenty of pipestrelle activity, and they were obviously living fairly close by. Closer than I knew, actually, as - while talking to a mate on the front step - one flew out of the side of a hanging basket. On examination, the basket liner had been chewed through, and a hole burrowed out beneath the roots of the plants. I later found two the second basket had received similar treatment, and they were being used as summer houses. Don't know how common this might be.....

What a bizarre thing to find - do let us know what the Bat Conservation Trust have to say about it.

Jeff

[ron1863]

We too had a pair of bats in our garden that roosted in one of those very small, woven, fist sized nesting baskets.
My partner nearly collapsed when she looked in the hole and a bat flew out.

[thunder]

The bats certainly won't have chewed the hole (they don't have the "right sort" of teeth!) But they may have enlarged it by pushing in and out. Bats are great opportunists - they will use any place they can.

henrya

[mrs fish]

How fascinating, bats roosting in hanging baskets

[Jez]

Out of matter of Curiousity and interest...What sort of Baskets are they, Rafia type or metal cage?